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tremolo
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Thank you Woodpecker. I appreciate the comment very much. Cheers, Karen
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woodpecker
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Karen..
Just checking the Artist's Corner messageboard....Checked out your website and i really like your work and your interpetation on the BWCA..... from one artist to another, great job..
Woodpecker
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moose plums
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So much for a good idea, huh.
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Panda
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Not a bad idea but the trick is getting enough traffic to a website. It turns into a numbers game of what % of visitors actually place an order... My husband's business is all online. From a web design standpoint, if you don't naturally have high rankings for searches like "wildlife art" you end up paying for that placement, which can be spendy. And I don't feel the need to line google's pockets any more than they already are. :) It would work if a lot of people already know who you are and are looking for you specifically.
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karenmb
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I know that this is an old thread, but if anyone is out there:
The Grand Marais Art Colony is asking for submissions right now for their Fall show. You can submit two. All you have to do is become a member-- 25 dollars.
Website: I have maintained an art website (yahoo webhosting) for a few years. Every now and then, I get enough traffic to make it worthwhile. Not a way to make a living for me, but provides income for supplies. Renescape Art
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grizzlygator
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Howdy,
I would love to make a living off my camera, but selling prints is a brutal business. Selling any art is tough. I once read that Ansel Adams was not able to support himself on gallery sales until quite late in life. I have started taking on commercial work again.
Be careful about setting up a website. Our original host set up a nice site but it was arranged so that we had to go through them to make any changes and that was a real hassle and alot of $$. Now I do it all myself.
Grizzlygator
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Panda
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Yes, there are some shady hosting and web companies out there. Fortunately, I know how to do it myself as well whenever I get around to it...
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woodpecker
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Nice work to you all....
Doing woodcarvings is a different area than photography or painting/prints for sure....I sell a carving but can't really make duplicates... I have thought of the bronze venue but as with most reproduction... it is spendy.....So for now people who purchase a carving are more or less purchasing a "one of a kind" although I have done several of the same subject or figure..
www.woodpeckertradingco.com
(but not as professional as grizzly's)
Woodpecker
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Panda
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It doesn't appear that many people are in here often but I'll throw it out there anyway... I'm just wondering how many people are making a living or supplementing their income via art or photography. Anyone with a digital camera calls themselves a photographer these days and very few draw or paint without the aid of a computer. As a graphic designer, I'm even guilty of taking the short cut! But sadly my heart is grounded in traditional media; oil paint on canvas, charcoal on paper, black and white film photography... Now that I'm not working as a full time designer, I'm looking for other avenues of revenue. Logically I know how to market myself, but doing it has become a bit of mental block that I can't overcome. If you're making a living at what you love, tell me how you started. :)
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Panda
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Those are lovely. I'm in a constant state of dilemma. Do you sell originals or prints? If you sell originals, how to you part with them? So much time goes into a painting, I can't bring myself to let them go, at least not for the pathetic prices I've been offered. If you sell prints, how do you afford it? Quality prints are an expensive investment when you're not even sure they'll sell...
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moose plums
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Panda, join the club. Self marketing is a difficult thing. After 25 years of painting, and entering duck stamp competitions, I still haven't learned it. Oh well, even if it hasn't made me alot of money, it still brings me alot of joy in doing it.  
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Panda
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Kudos to you -- I don't have the patience for sculpture.
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moose plums
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Very nice work by the way. I have had my work reproduced a couple of times, one addition of 250 that has all but sold out. It does require some cash outlay, and there is a bit of risk involved. As far as the original work is concerned, I too have difficulty parting with them. I have thought that if I had a website I could take orders for prints online, and when I reach a certain # of orders, I'd have the prints done.
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Panda
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It's tough but anything is worth a try. Putting a website together is probably one of the cheapest things that can be done in the world of marketing.
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